Pink Ribbons
by Melivia
Summary: Every Woman's Battle.
1. Chapter 1

**Pairing: Olivia/Melinda**

"**Pink Ribbons"**

Olivia was in the living room with Kiara, her eight year old daughter with Melinda. They were playing Wheel of Fortune on the Wii Nintendo. Melinda walks in the house without saying a word to them and goes straight into the kitchen. She places her keys and purse on the kitchen table and gets a Pepsi out the refrigerator.

"Someone must have had a bad day at work" Kiara says.

Olivia gets up from the couch and goes into the kitchen. "Hey" she softly says. She could tell something was upsetting Melinda. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Melinda replied. Her eyes were filled with tears, she tried holding them back but when she looked over at her eight year old daughter, tears trailed down her cheek.

Olivia walks over to Melinda. "You're not okay. You're crying" she says, as she wipes away Melinda's tears with her hand. "Tell me what's wrong."

"I went in for a mammogram today" Melinda started out and then broke into tears again. "They found a lump, Liv. They found a lump in my breast." Without giving Olivia the opportunity to respond, Melinda runs upstairs.

"Mel, wait" Olivia yells, as she chase after Melinda.

"What's wrong with mom?" Kiara says, as she sees Olivia running after her.

Olivia enters the bedroom where Melinda is lying in the middle of the bed. She slowly moves toward the bed and sits down. "Mel, honey… baby, tell me what the doctor said."

Melinda slowly sits up. Olivia brushes the curls back out of Melinda's face. "I went in for a mammogram today and they found a lump."

"We had our annual mammogram six months ago, was there a reason you made another appointment?"

"Last week while I was in the shower I felt a lump. I didn't think it was anything serious but I wanted to be sure. So, I schedule an appointment with Doctor Connor."

Olivia gets in the middle of the bed where Melinda was sitting. She puts her arms around Melinda and holds her wife tightly. "Don't worry, you're going to be alright" she tells Melinda. Truth is Olivia is frightened. As she held Melinda is her arms, tears filled Olivia eyes. Just the thought of living her life without Melinda was heartbreaking.

"I have a biopsy the day after tomorrow. Will you come with me?" Melinda asked.

"Of course I will" Olivia says, as she clears her throat. "I'm not going to leave your side."


	2. Chapter 2

**Pairing: Olivia/Melinda**

**Chapter II**

Olivia held Melinda until she fell asleep. She slowly and quietly removed herself from the bed and went downstairs where Kiara was still playing Wheel of Fortune. "Is mom okay?"

"Yeah, she's fine" Olivia says, as she sat next to her daughter. "Hey, I've got an idea."

"What is it?"

"Lets surprise mommy by making her favorite for dinner tonight" Olivia says.

"Okay, cool" Kiara says.

Olivia and Kiara went into the kitchen and began to make lasagna for dinner. Olivia's mind was on Melinda the whole time; she tried to keep a straight face because she didn't want her daughter to suspect anything. While the lasagna baked Olivia goes upstairs to check on Melinda.

Olivia enters the bedroom. "Mel, where are you?"

"Liv, I'm in here" Melinda yells from the bathroom.

Olivia goes into the bathroom, she sees Melinda standing naked in front of the mirror. "What are you doing?" Olivia asked.

"I wanted to see how I'd look with one breast" she says standing there with her hand over her right breast.

Any other time, Olivia would love to her wife naked but not like this. "Mel, don't" Olivia said, as she removed Melinda's hand from her breast. "You're not going to lose your breast because everything's going to work out just fine." Olivia reaches for the robe and cover Melinda's naked body. With Melinda still facing the mirror, Olivia opens her robe. "Look, you have two beautiful healthy breasts and it's going to stay that way."

"You promise"

Olivia wraps her arms around Melinda's waist and rests her chin on Melinda's shoulder. "I promise," she says to Melinda. Olivia turns her wife around to face her, "Baby, I love you and I know you're worried and I'm worried too. We have to think positive about this situation. We don't even know what the outcome will be."

"I want to think positive about this, Liv, but I can't. My aunt and my grandmother both died from breast cancer. You know well as I do, African-American women have a higher risk of dying from breast cancer than any other women."

"I know, but we still need to think positive. Do you feel up to eating? Dinner will be ready in about thirty minutes."

I'll be down soon" Melinda tells her.

Olivia gives Melinda a kiss and goes downstairs. Melinda goes into the bedroom, she drops the robe on the bed and puts her clothes back on. Melinda heads downstairs and takes a seat on the couch next to Kiara. "You're still playing Wheel of Fortune?" she asked.

"Yes ma'am" the eight year old replied. Kiara rests the Wii remote on the table, she turns to face her mother, "Mom, are you okay?"

"Yes, why?"

"Well, usually when you come from work you always give me a kiss on the forehead and then kiss mom but you didn't do that today and you've been in the bedroom the whole time" Kiara tells her.

"I'm sorry sweetheart" Melinda says, and then leans over and kisses Kiara on the forehead. "It's been a long day, that's all." Melinda inhales. "Mmm, is that lasagna I smell?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Dinner's ready" Olivia yells from the kitchen.

Kiara noticed who quiet her mothers were at the dinner table. This was unusual because dinner time was used to catch up with one another's day. They'd ask Kiara, how was school and she'd ask them what happened at the office and so on. But, not today, today was different and Kiara being the curious eight year old she is, had to know.

"Is there something going on, you two aren't telling me?" she asked.

"No, why?" says Olivia.

"Nothing" Kiara says, as she shakes her head.

After dinner Olivia cleaned the kitchen and locked up, while Kiara and Melinda took their showers. Melinda went into Kiara's room and kissed her goodnight. Olivia came up later and did the same.

Olivia took her shower while Melinda lay in bed watching TV. Twenty minutes later Olivia comes out the bathroom and gets in bed with Melinda. "What are you watching?"

"Snapped," Melinda replied.

"You want to talk?"

"Not really," says Melinda. She then points the remote at the TV and turns it off. Melinda gets under the covers and turns away from her wife. Olivia gets under the covers and puts her arms around Melinda. "Hold me, Liv. Hold me tight, and never let me go."

"Baby, I got you. You don't have to worry about me ever letting you go."

Melinda tossed and turned, she couldn't sleep and around 1am, she slowly gets out of bed, trying not to awake Olivia. Melinda checks in on Kiara, who is sound asleep. She goes into her daughter's bedroom and gets in bed with her.

Kiara is awakened by the movement in the bed. "Mom," the sleepy eight year old says.

"Go back to sleep, baby" Melinda tells her as she puts her arm around her daughter.

"Are you crying?" asked Kiara.

"No," Melinda replied.

"You are crying. Mom, you're scaring me. What's wrong?"

"Nothing, sweetheart. I just wanted to be close to you tonight. That's all."

Kiara lay back down on the pillow and within a few minutes she drifted off to sleep.

Around 3am Olivia awakes to use the bathroom and finds Melinda's side of the bed empty. After using the bathroom, she searches the house for her wife and sees her in bed with Kiara. Olivia goes back into her bedroom and does something she hasn't done in a while. Olivia gets down on her knees and starts to pray.

"_Lord… God, it's been so long since the last time I talked to you," Olivia starts out. "I know you probably thought I forgot about you because I haven't been to church in a while, but I didn't. I've been so busy lately with my job; I put everything and everyone on the back burner. Lord, I come to you as humble as I know how, asking for a favor. As you already know, the doctor found a lump in Melinda's breast. She's very scared and so am I. So, I'm asking you to make this alright. Lord, I've only asked you for two things in life and you've provided them for me. I know with you, all things are possible. Lord, I know you have all power in your hand and I'm asking you night to bless Melinda with your power. Watch over her and comfort her. We need a blessing and I'm asking you, right now in your son's mighty name, to bless Melinda and our family. Whatever the lump is in her breast, Lord please let it be gone when we go in to see the doctor. Now Lord, I'll end this prayer with the prayer you taught us. __Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, For ever and ever. Amen" _

"Amen" Melinda says, standing at the door.

"Mel, how long was you standing there?"

"Long enough"

Melinda walks over to Olivia and assists her from the floor.

"Thanks Liv" Melinda says, as she gets into bed.

"What for?"

"You prayed for me and that means a lot. Thank you." Melinda closes in the space between her and Olivia. "I'm not waiting another day. I'm going to call Doctor Connor in the morning, to see if she could do the biopsy tomorrow."

"I'll be right there with you, every step of the way" Olivia says.


End file.
